Urban Complex between the Municipal Market and João de Deus Secondary School

Category: Nature > Protected Area

District: Faro > Faro > Faro > Sé e São Pedro

Location

This urban complex is located in the parish of Sé and São Pedro, in the city of Faro, framed by important thoroughfares such as Rua General Humberto Delgado, Praceta Coronel Pires Viegas, and Praceta Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco. It forms an Anglo-Saxon inspired "square" or small square, a landscaped space that provides a calm environment and includes an area dedicated to children's play, making it a pleasant spot within the city's urban fabric.

Its position in Faro's eastern urban expansion, conceived from the 1940s onwards, gives it a particular role in the city's grid, defined by avenues such as Cinco de Outubro to the south, Rua Ataíde de Oliveira to the west, Rua Reitor Teixeira Guedes to the north, and Avenida Dr. Júlio Almeida Carrapato to the east.

Architectural Dialogue

The complex stands out for its diverse architecture, reflecting the aesthetic and formal trends of Portuguese construction between the 1940s and 1960s. Although the buildings were erected in short intervals, sometimes almost simultaneously, they reveal a remarkable variety of styles. It is possible to observe the coexistence of elements from the nationalist current, visible in their facades and details, particularly in the corners that open onto Rua General Humberto Delgado.

Alongside, examples of a moderate regionalist language emerge, harmoniously integrating national and local features. Further on, the influence of modern architecture is found, characteristic of housing production in Faro during the 1950s and 1960s. This heterogeneity, present in the two to five-story buildings that comprise the site, offers an interesting visual journey for those interested in the evolution of construction in mid-20th century Portugal.

An Example of Urban Planning

This space is a testament to Faro's urban expansion after the Second World War, particularly the application of the 1945 General Urbanization Pre-Plan. Its conception as a simply laid out "square" with chamfered corners on the plots, demonstrates planning that sought to create continuity and coherence in the marginal plan of the constructions. The buildings present here, primarily residential in nature, clearly illustrate the "infill architecture" approach of the time, which, despite stylistic diversity, maintained remarkable uniformity in densities and volumes.

Visiting this complex allows one to understand how different architectural concepts coexisted and shaped the Portuguese urban landscape in the last century, offering a glimpse into the aesthetic trends and debates of the era, from more traditional to more avant-garde approaches, all present in this unique block of Faro.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt